Improvement in speed-indicator for ships



A dutrd giedre patent (Militia.

Letters Patent No. 93,513, dated August 10, 1869.

- IMPROVEMENT IN SPEED-INDIGATOR FOR SHIPS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lame.

To whom it may concern: y

Beit known that I, Ai-:MAND BANARE, of Paris,

France, have invented a new and improved Atmospheric Sillometer; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

form of this helix be regular and well defined, if .its` pitch be exactly assertaiueii', and 'it`,"'in additiol'nft'he' shaft of the helix be keptat a certain depth in the water, and in a position always horizontally parallel to the trajectory of the vessel, independently of its pitching or rolling, the number oi' revolutions made by this helix can be employed to determine the distance traversed by the ship. v

Second, two cylinders of the same capacity, each formed of two circular copper disks, united'by a thick, flexible, and pliable rubber casing.

Lety it be' supposed that the iirst cylinder is extendedor open to its t'ull extent, that the other is contracted,

, its casing being folded up like that ot' 'al bellows,` and that the two are connected and communicate with each other by means of a tube, arranged in such manner as to hermetically close them against the'entrance of the exterior air, If, now, the two are left-alone, equilibrium will be established betweenthem but if the former extendedcylinder be compressed and iiattened, the air iiom within it, vpassing through the tube, will separate the disks of the second cylinder, which, in its turn, will be distended. If, however, the rst cylinder be again stretched or extended, thc second will again be contracted, and it will be perceived that these results are attained hy the transmission oi the air to one or the other of the dylinders, through the tube, which puts them in connection with each other.

The manner in which these two parts are combined into order, to produced the desired results, can best be explained by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which-.

Figure 1 is an elevation of that part of the apparatus which is immersed in the water, and contains the helix;

Figure 2 isa plan view; and

Figure 3, a side elevation of that part of the apparatus which is placed on board the vessel, and'is connected with the register.

H H represent a helix, formed of two copper blades ,mounted upon a revolving shaft, to one end of which perforations.

is secured a cord or rope, I, by which the helix is drawn after the vessel.'

The' helixis surrounded by four metal guards A, which are held in position by the cross-braces V U, the latter serving, at the same time, to support the shaft ofthe helix.- I

On the end' of the shaft, opposite the ring whereby the apparatus is attached to the cord, and beyond the axis, isa connecting-rod, b, with which is connected the rod t, attached to the upper disk D of the cylinder C. The latter is composed, besides the disk l) and bottom disk F, of a rubber cylinder, c, in which are embedded copper rings, which give it the form of an organ-bellows. g

The bottom disk has a central opening, O, into which is screwed a coppertube, T, communicating with rub ber `tubing R, 'stiend by means lot a spiral copper wire embedded in it. Thisl rubber tubing is from'ten to fifteen metres long, and is held sd as to conform to Y the shape of the lower guard A, by means of brackets/g. A brass casing, B, iig. 4, is rigidly connected with the lower guard A and the upright V, and encloses and protects the cylinder C. That part of the casing' which is to receive the force of the water, is without The opposite lside is, however, perfo rated, in order to allow free passage to the water. The other end of the rubber tubing is carried on board the vessel, (see iig. 2,) and is connected with the bottom disk f, of a rubber cylinder, resembling in construction the submerged cylinder, butv smaller in diameter, so that its back-and-forth movement may be more ex'- tended.\ i

Communication between the two is ei'ected in such manner that when the tubing K is connected with the cylinder on the vessel, such cylinder is closed or contractedwhile the submerged cylinder is open.

The lower disk f of the cylinder on the vessel is secured to afi-ame, E, and `the upper movable diskcarries a rod, h, which traverses the lever L of a suitable registering-apparatus, attached to the board P. The frame Eis connected with the platform P by screw-y bolts s, which extend through slots lr on thervplatform, and have thumb-nuts z, by means of which-the fram/e maybe adjusted, in order to give more or less stroke to the registering-lev .=,r. The rod h passes through guides g, which hold it to the frame E.

The operation is as follows:

The helix, when in revolution, transmitsthrough the intermediary of the connecting-rod, a rectilinear or reciprocating movement to the upper disk of the submerged cylinder, and the air communicates the movement to the disk 'd of the cylinder on board the vessel, the rod h of which' disk causes the'lever of the register to alternately risc and fall.

The register may'be of any ordinary'constructionF suoli, for instance, as are used with propeller-engines, to ascertain the nu'mher of revolutions of the screw.

The form of the helix is by no means arbitrary. The helix is described by two right'lines, each one deci-- mctre in length, placed normally upon the exterior surl'aco of the shaft, and following a spiral thread, which makes one complete revolution in a metres length. The helix is then cut away toward the front of the instrument, following a curve which is obtained by the intersection of this helix with a truncated eone,whose smaller base coincides with the section of the shaft, and whose larger base'coincides with a plane at right angles to the axis, and passing through the middle of the same.

lwo blades nt n, thc one horizontal, the other vertical,servc to maintain the shaft y horizontal, and the course of the apparatus parallel with the trajectory of the vessehand tu prevent the. apparatus from twisting or turning upon the cord l.

A hoop, J, vsurrounds the fom` guards, and is intended to receive the ends of three wooden bars, each one metre and twenty centimetres in length, which are attached to the rope I, and serve to shield the apparatus from tloating obstructions, weeds, Src.

The movable disks of the cylinders are hollowed out, in order to make them as light as possible, and have grooves formed in their exteriors, in which the ends of thc rubber tubing are drawn, and held by wire ties.

The leverLis also made hollow, in order to decrease its weight.

A cock may be applied to the tube, which unites the smaller cylinder with the rubber tubing, for the purpose of rcgulatin g the apparatus without detachng the tubing.

In order to insure the operation of the appaiatus in depths greater than one metre, Iplaoe within the sub merged cylinder a spiral spring, which will counteract the pressure of the column of water.

To maintain the level of the apparatus, it may be found expedient to apply cork oats to the ring to which the cord I is fastened; and, lastly, a bell may i be, combined with the registering-apparatus, which will strike, for instance, at every tenthrevolution of the hcli.\ Y

l am aware thatitis not new to impart motion to arcgisterin g-apparatus by means of a submerged helix, which is rotated by the motion of the vessel, and actuates said apparatus through the medium of `atmospheric pressure, but the apparatus devised by me, constructed upon this general principle, possesses features which belong to no other one ot' the class that I am aware of that is to say, it is so arranged as to float independently ofthe vessel, and to be dragged after it by means of a rope alonc,without interfering with the continuous operation ofthe devices and it is, moreover, constructed so that while maintained at a determinate depth in the water, it will pursue a course generally parallel with the trajectory ofthe vessel, as before explained. Therefore,

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The arrangement ofthe revolving helix and aircylindcr, with which it is combined, in a frame, connected with the vessel in the manner specified, and consisting of guards and blades, constructed and arranged as herein described, so that the apparatus, while tioating independently of thc vessel, and following in its wake, may be maintained in propel' position to communicate accurate movement to the register, as shown and set forth.

2. The combination, with the submerged air-cylinder, of the brass casing i'or the same, constructed as described, so as to protect the cylinder from the force of the water, at the same time that the water is admitted around the cylinder, as and for the purposes stated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specitication, before two subscribing witnesses.

A. BANARE.

Witnesses:

F. OLcoTr, C. LAFOND. 

